Iconic Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg to Close Jan. 31

Sengelmann Hall in Schulenburg will close on Jan. 31.

The historic saloon and dancehall built in 1894 by the Sengelmann Brothers operated for almost 50 years before closing at the start of World War II. The building housed a Western Auto store for a while and then sat shuttered before its grand reopening in 2009. The current tenant, Garrett Pettit, has operated a restaurant, bar and event space inside the building for the last 13 years.

“It’s time for me to move on,” Pettit said in an interview with the Record last week. “The building upkeep is a lot. I’m 63 years old. It’s getting harder and harder.”

Dana Harper, who owns the building and restored it in 2009, decided to sell the property. Bubela Real Estate has it listed for $1,795,500.

“I put Sengelmann Hall on the market because I moved to Prague, Czech Republic 10 years ago and I get back to enjoy Sengelmann Hall less often these days,” Harper told the Record. “I’m a Texas Boy and I love Texas dance halls. They need to be used and taken care of by the community. I feel like I made my small but important contribution to Texas culture by restoring Sengelmann Hall (and the original City Meat Market, adjacent) and reopening it after 50 years. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a very special place and I hope the community will continue to enjoy it for generations to come. I also hope I can pass the torch to the next proprietor who will take care of it and consider having a respectable live music program upstairs and take advantage of the dance floor. That would be great for the community. It is a wonderful tradition for the whole family that our ancestors passed to us.”

Harper bought the hall in the late 1990s.

“I grew up going to other dancehalls like Gruene Hall and I thought it was a shame that Sengelmann hall never reopened after WWII,” Harper said. “The community actually forgot what was upstairs. It was turned it into a Western Auto and they kept parts upstairs on the dancefloor.”

Harper said there were still party decorations adorning the hall from the last dance that took place upstairs. He said the dance floor was strewn with glass beads that had fallen from dancer’s dresses.

“I think the spirits or ghosts there or whatever you want to call them played a role in my decision to do what I did,” he said.

Senglemann Hall reopened with much fanfare in June of 2009 following a twoyear restoration. Junior Brown headlined the grand opening. Some of the biggest names in country music appeared there over the years – Asleep at the Wheel, Johnny Lee, Crystal Gale, to name a few. And due to Garrett Pettit’s association with the hall, his brothers Derry and the late Lonnie Pettit rekindled their musical careers as Sengelmann’s unofficial house band - The Pettit Brothers. Lonnie passed away in 2023. But Derry kept the band going, and they played their last show at Sengelmann Wednesday night, Jan. 8.

Garrett has been involved with the hall in one way or another since the reopening of 2009.

“I was hired in 2009 as a consultant and front of the house manager,” Pettit said. “I ended up being the bar manager and front of house manager.

“I did that for about six months, but my job in Austin was calling me back, so I went back to Austin,” he said. “Then a couple of years later, in 2011, I moved back to Schulenburg. They asked me if I had any interest in coming back, and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a try.’ I’ve been here 13 years.”

Pettit previously managed Momma’s Pizza, the pizza kitchen attached to the old Cozy Theater and Von Minden Hotel in Schulenburg. His parents, Bill and Betty Pettit, owned and operated the hotel and theater, and Betty ran Momma’s Pizza before her passing in 2002.

When Garrett returned to Sengelmann for a second stint, he brought the pizza recipes with him and rebranded the restaurant “Momma’s at Sengelmann Hall.” The Hall’s restaurant was already famous for dishes like pork schnitzel. Pettit added some new offerings like Momma’s pizza and fried chicken. His plate lunch specials on Sunday have become a Schulenburg institution.

“Sunday is our busiest day,” he said.

Pettit plans to open a catering and take-out business operated from his home after Sengelmann Hall closes. Pettit said he wanted to scale down his business to a size he can operate by himself with some part-time help.

“I’m thinking about offering some to-go food, like pizza, fried chicken, chicken fried steak, some meals” he said. “I haven’t decided on a name yet, but it’s going to be pick up and delivery only.”

In the meantime, folks have a few weeks to enjoy this jewel in Schulenburg’s downtown. The restaurant and bar are open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5-9 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m., Saturdays from 3-9:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. for a plated lunch.

The weekly live music series on Wednesday nights will continue through the end of the month. Kendra Krupala performs this Wednesday, Jan. 15. The McHeim Brothers will play next Wednesday, Jan. 22. Super Dave Hollas will put on the final show Wednesday, Jan. 29.